Lucky Kyo
by Suni Daughter of Moro
Summary: Shigure's bitter expose of the treatment of previous cats of the zodiac curse. (Complete)
1. A Message to Kyo

**Lucky Kyo**

Chapter One

A Message to Kyo

Lucky Kyo…

            You wake up in the morning with hate in your heart -

            You hate your parents for giving you life

            You hate the world for bothering you

            You hate the other Sohmas for shunning you

            You hate the gods for forcing you to stay alive

            If only you realized, Lucky Kyo. 

            Realized why Aya calls you lucky.

            If only you realized that you are fortunate,

            That other cats have faced much worse.

            You wake up in my house,

            In a nice warm bed in your own little room.

            It's not much but it is better than what was awaiting you.

            Previous cats woke up in a cage dampened with their blood and tears.

            Previous cats slept on the floor, the sunlight from barred windows glaring in their eyes.

            Beds and curtains were "too good for them."

            You have three square meals a day prepared by a dear woman.

            Previous cats were fed scraps that others threw through the bars as they cursed them.

Lucky Kyo…

            You wake up every morning with contempt in your heart,

            Contempt for all those who have wronged you.

            It's time to open your eyes, Lucky Kyo.

            It's time I show you how lucky you really are.

            Didn't you ever wonder why…

            Aya always called you…

            _Lucky_ Kyo?


	2. Kyoumi

**Lucky Kyo**

Chapter Two

Kyoumi

Kyoumi is the first cat in Sohma house that I was able to find records of… and extensive records they were. Kyoumi was born in the year 1840 to a dragon and a rabbit. The rabbit, her mother, died shortly after her birth and the dragon, her father, didn't even live to see his child born. He died in a fire three months before her birth.

No one wanted to touch the disgusting child with the orange hair. No one wanted to be near it. It was a curse. It was a plague. It was a _cat._

Along with being the first cat found in the archives, Kyoumi was also the youngest cat to be caged. Ryuusei, the leader of Sohma house at the time, ordered a woman named Uzuki Sohma to take care of the child until she was four. Uzuki agreed begrudgingly.

Kyoumi was entrusted to Uzuki's care at the age of two months. Uzuki, sickened at the sight of the cursed child, took very poor care of Kyoumi. Kyoumi was starved the majority of the time. Despite Uzuki's intent to starve the child to death by feeding her less than once a week, Kyoumi refused to die. By the time Kyoumi reached the age of one, Uzuki resorted to crueler tactics. Uzuki attempted to poison Kyoumi's food on several occasions but Kyoumi still refused to die, throwing up the food before the poison had time to take effect. Once this plot had been foiled, Uzuki moved on to her most direct attempt to kill the child.

For the next three years of her life, every day, Kyoumi was beaten. Sometimes with a belt, other times with a paddle, and still other times with Uzuki's son's old baseball bat. Despite the abuse and the resulting frequent hospitalization, Kyoumi survived. On the day of Kyoumi's fourth birthday, Uzuki helped Ryuusei toss her into the cage, laughing gleefully now that the cat was no longer her problem.

With Kyoumi being as young as she was, Ryuusei took a minimal sympathy toward her. Until she reached the age of fifteen, Kyoumi was provided with a full meal once a day. It was a very bland and unsatisfying meal though.

When Kyoumi turned fifteen, the meals stopped coming. She was fed only scraps left over after all other Sohmas and any animals around the estate had been fed. She began to think things couldn't get worse. She was wrong.

Around the age of eighteen, Kyoumi had caught the eye of Ryuusei's son, who was approximately twenty times the psychopath his father was. Kyoumi was forced to wed Ryuusei's son Hiraku. Even after being wed, Kyoumi was never allowed to leave her cage. Hiraku was allowed free access to the cage but Kyoumi was never to be allowed out. On their wedding night, Hiraku entered the cage and raped Kyoumi. Then, he left without a word.

Hiraku, encouraged to continue his father's lineage, decided he wanted a son. Once a month, he raped Kyoumi and once a month a doctor would be called in to see if Kyoumi was pregnant. After three years, she was with child… but it was a girl…

Hiraku refused to acknowledge the child as his own. When the girl was born, Hiraku accused the doctor of being the one who impregnated Kyoumi. By ruling of Ryuusei, the doctor was slain and Kyoumi herself was to do away with the child. Fortunately, Kyoumi managed to locate a sympathetic woman who had secretly just lost her child in a miscarriage. This woman took Kyoumi's infant from her and raised it as her own. It was a light in the darkness for Kyoumi.

Things took a turn for the worst, however. Hiraku blamed Kyoumi for the fact that the child was a girl. As punishment he bound and beat her. He also became more determined to have a son. Hiraku began raping her about three times a month and refused to call in a doctor anymore. He almost killed his own son, because he continued to rape Kyoumi until three months after his son was conceived. The child was born four months later and after that, Kyoumi never saw her son again, but she continued to be raped and beaten.

When Hiraku had enough of Kyoumi, he asked for the marriage to be broken. However, it was impossible for that to occur. Hiraku then asked of his father if Kyoumi could just 'disappear.' It was given Ryuusei's approval and six days later, Kyoumi 'mysteriously' disappeared from her cage. She was found in a creek on Sohma property strangled and beaten. It was unsure whether it was the strangling or the beating that had killed her but at the age of thirty-two, Kyoumi was dead.


	3. Eisaku

**Lucky Kyo**

Chapter Three

Eisaku

Ten years after Kyoumi's death, her heir to the curse was born. Eisaku was born to a non-cursed Sohma house member and a snake. His father, the curse-less parent, abandoned him and his mother when he was still an infant. Eisaku grew up knowing his father had left him because of the curse. He was reminded of that every day by the other children of Sohma House.

Though his mother tried to shelter him from the cruel taunting words of the other children, Eisaku still heard it frequently. He was verbally abused to the harshest extremes but eventually he learned to ignore it all. However, once he was able to turn a deaf ear on the other children, they developed different methods of torture.

A game was developed by Hiraku's son. The rules of the game were simply - do whatever it takes to make the cat scream and whoever does it first wins. As a result, Eisaku faced much pain. He was beaten, burned, whipped, kicked, stoned, stabbed, thrown around, and drowned. Hiraku's son Makito eventually began to win daily with his inventive forms of torture.

The first of these new torture forms was "ticking." In this form of torture, Makito would collect ticks in a small box. When he had a significant amount, he would take Eisaku somewhere secluded, where Eisaku's mother wouldn't think to look for him, and tether him to the ground. Once he was sure Eisaku couldn't move, he'd strip him of his shirt and methodically place tick after tick on the exposed flesh of his chest until Eisaku screamed for mercy. The technique was too timid, however, and Makito soon abandoned it for other methods. He would pull Eisaku's nails backward until he screamed. He would slam the door on Eisaku's hands and feet. He would take dilute acids on a cloth and press it to Eisaku's skin. Makito developed some of the most brutal techniques for his sick little game.

One time, Eisaku's mother had gotten Eisaku to confess who had done the unspeakable things to him. When she discovered it was Makito, she sought out the child and beat him. Eisaku's mother nearly killed Makito and she was expected to be executed for it. However, she wasn't.

When Hiraku looked upon her as he was about to condemn her, he realized the familiarity of the face. It was his daughter. When this frightening apparition from his past came into his vision, he couldn't stand to look at her or even pass judgment. Eisaku's mother got away with beating her brother for what he had done to her son.

Makito eventually recovered and came back with a vengeance. By this time, Makito was twenty-one and Eisaku was only ten. Simply put, since Makito's father had not punished Eisaku's mother, he was afraid getting revenge on her would result in a punishment for himself. Makito quickly came to the decision that the cat would pay for it… and pay for it dearly.

It was May first 1893 when Eisaku died. His screams as he was slowly and brutally slain echoed throughout the Sohma Estate but no one could trace down the origin of the sound. When it had long since ceased, a servant finally discovered a hidden room in the main house but it was too late.

Though certainly unspeakable, judging by his horrified screams as he died, the manner of Eisaku's death was never known. For when the servant discovered the room, all he found was Makito and a medium-sized box. Inside the box, the servant found Eisaku - chopped to pieces - and the blade with which it had been done. When the servant saw this, he looked to Makito. Makito gave him an evil smile that sent an unbelievable chill up his back and then Makito said simply, "It serves him right for being what he was…"


	4. Tsuzune

**Lucky Kyo**

Chapter Four

Tsuzune

The story of Tsuzune is a very short tale. This is because the child only lived to the tender age of three weeks. She was born a month after Eisaku's death to a close aquaintence of Makito's. Being as he was, Makito ordered his dear friend to slay the child. Foolishly, Tsuzune's parents obeyed. They suffocated her in her sleep one night. After that, they never spoke of her again. To them, Tsuzune had never existed.


	5. Chikashi

**Lucky Kyo**

Chapter Five

Chikashi

About near the two year mark of her son's death, Eisaku's mother discovered that Makito had killed him. She also found out that Makito had ordered his best friend to slaughter his daughter because she was a cat. To assure he would never do such a thing again, Eisaku's mother buried an axe in Makito's skull. This time, Hiraku was able to pass judgment and she was executed. The same day she was slain, the second heir to her son's curse was born. He was Chikashi and he was born of a sheep and an ox.

Chikashi faced verbal and physical abuse as a child but he was frequently saved from this abuse by a young girl named Atsue. Atsue was a strong fearless girl who wasn't afraid to stop this injustice at any cost. Because of this, she frequently took the beatings that he had been spared.

Later on in life, Atsue and Chikashi got married. Atsue bore Chikashi a son but she died in childbirth. In gaining a son, Chikashi lost his loving wife. He felt guilty.

Chikashi raised his son as a single parent for approximately three years. After those three years passed, Hiraku's successor Fusae decided Chikashi was an unfit parent. She ordered the child to be sent to a 'real family' and ordered Chikashi to the cage.

The cage was hell for Chikashi. People fed him the scraps that even the animals wouldn't touch and he had nothing to do but think, which led to him becoming quite a philosopher, but the only person who listened to him was a little girl named Umeka. Unfortunately, three years later in 1943, Umeka suddenly stopped coming to see him. He never saw her again and never discovered what had happened to her. Chikashi was reduced to only thinking again. The accursed window of his cell only added to the torment. He saw the outside world changing through this window. He saw his son grow up, get married, and start a family through this window. He was physically assaulted with flying objects by mean-spirited children through this window. He was cursed at and spoken to bitterly through this window. The window, which most imagine would actually bring comfort, brought Chikashi nothing but sorrow.

Chikashi was growing old and sickly by the time he was informed that he was a grandfather. Knowing he would certainly not last much longer, Chikashi prayed that he could see his grandson once. His prayers would eventually be answered.

In 1968, Kazuma, his grandson, came rushing past the cage on his way to see his father. Upon noticing the old man beyond the barred window, Kazuma paused. Chikashi, when he realized how like Atsue Kazuma looked, knew this child was his grandson. With a cheerful smile, he extended his hand out of the cage and offered Kazuma what little good food he had - a few pieces of candy.

Kazuma responded to his grandfather's kindness with repulsion. He said cynically, "I don't want your curse," and ran off.

Though certainly not pleased with his grandson's reaction to him, Chikashi admitted to himself that the boy's feelings couldn't be helped. He was always taught to hate the cat. It wasn't Kazuma's fault. Chikashi forgave his grandson and thanked the heavens for allowing him to see Kazuma. Several months later, Chikashi died.


	6. A Second Message to Kyo

**Lucky Kyo**

Chapter Six

A Second Message to Kyo

Kyo-

Now that I have told you this all, I want to assure you that I only wrote this to show you how lucky you truly are. I don't know if you'll even bother to read this but I still want to swear to you - my intentions _were_ pure. I did not aspire to destroy your faith in Kazuma when I told you about his encounter with his grandfather; I merely meant to show you that, in the times of previous cats, even good men acted brutally toward the felines.

I hope now that you see that you are lucky to have what you do. I meant nothing offensive to you in the terms that I used to speak of the former cats. I do not see you as any more cursed than myself. You know I meant not to hurt your feelings, don't you? You know I care for you deeply, like a father loves his son.

I admit that I am too young to take much of a parental role in your life and you really haven't given me any chance to attempt to either. However, I am still trying to take more responsibility and show you the truth, as any good father would do for his son. I hope that after reading this message, if you do read it, you know that I care for you and you can come to me in your times of need. You can tell me anything and I'll still love you. I'll keep your secrets with strictest confidentiality… if you let me see you within. I realize it's going to take more than just this letter to convince you to open up to me that much, but I am willing to work on it. I hope you are as well.

In closing, I would like to ask you to answer one question for me - do you now see why Aya calls you _Lucky Kyo_?

- Shigure


	7. Epilogue

A/N: Last chapter, people. We had a good run, right? This last chapter is a bit different - it's third person present and it doesn't deal with previous cats. The title should give you a hint as to what the chapter's about.

**Lucky Kyo**

Epilogue

Kyo and Shigure

Shigure sits in his study when the door slams open. He jumps slightly at the intense noise. He looks up and sees Kyo in the doorway.

"Oh, Kyo, it's only you. I thought it was Mii here to pester me about my deadline again," Shigure breathes a sigh of relief.

"You think you're clever just 'happening' to leave this sitting at my usual spot at the dining room table?" Kyo asks crossly - though rather calm - as he drops the manuscript for Lucky Kyo on the desk before Shigure.

"Oh, did I? I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to leave it in your spot. I just plopped it down on the table and told Tohru to tell Mii where to find it when she came," Shigure laughs a bit. Things have a funny way of working out. "So, did you read it?"

"Had nothing better to do," Kyo shrugs.

"What did you think of it? I mostly wrote it because of you," Shigure props his head up with his hands.

"You really suck," Kyo cracks a smile.

"I'll take that as a complement," Shigure nods cheerfully.

Kyo seems to suddenly freeze and turn into a downward spiral. He has gone from smiling to frowning with glossed-over eyes.

"Kyo, is everything all right?"

"Yeah," Kyo nods, though clearly in a deep depressed thought.

"Is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?" Shigure asks, hoping his concern doesn't come across as nosiness.

"It's all true, isn't it?" Kyo inquires solemnly as he seemed to stare through the wall he was looking at.

"Yes, every word. It truly is a shame, isn't it? How a little legend can hurt people so deeply. Then again, it should be no surprise if you know European history. They used the old religious folk lore of Cain and Abel to justify slavery.1"

"I'm sure a good deal of slaves even had it better than the people you wrote about."

"I'm sure you're right."

"Shigure, you do realize this book reveals the Sohma curse, don't you?"

"Yes and that's why this will only be available exclusively to members of Sohma House," Shigure nods again.

"Like they give a shit anyway," Kyo says angrily.

"Come now Kyo, I think my findings will warrant some emotions from them. Maybe not complete sympathy but a bit of an understanding and sorrow, at the very least."

"Do they… really not know what Makito did to Eisaku?" Kyo asks mournfully.

"I believe they do but they're covering it up. There's a general understanding between all who suffer the curse that Akito does - never reveal the skeletons in your predecessor's closet. It took plenty of searching to just find out that Makito killed him. Also, though it seems obvious, it's not necessarily true that Hiraku had Kyoumi killed."

"Those bastards… And I thought Akito was bad…" Kyo muses.

"He certainly is. Akito is terrible. It's just that the family has grown so huge that it's harder for him to maintain control than it was for his predecessors. He doesn't have time to torture you like all his antecedents did to the former cats."

"Ah well, they all supposedly get what they deserve - a short life and a quick drop to hell," Kyo laughs loudly, obviously trying to shake off his depression.

"Yes, that is true," Shigure smiles.

"But what about Hiraku?" Kyo asks.

"Oh, he wasn't cursed like his father was. In fact, he wasn't cursed at all. You see, during his time as 'steward to the rule' if you will, children carrying the curse that Akito carries were dying during or shortly after birth of complications. Being the son of the last ruler, Hiraku ruled until the next official head of Sohma House emerged."

"I see…" Kyo murmurs.

"Kyo, how about we go out to dinner tonight - just the two of us? We can talk some more. It doesn't have to be about the book either. Maybe we could talk about school… or perhaps we could talk about sports or video games or anything else that isn't as tedious as school."

"This is your attempted at a father-son-bonding-type thing, isn't it?"

"Pretty much," Shigure says honestly. "What do you say?"

"I say 'For once I'll trust that damn rat alone with Tohru.' Come on. Let's go," Kyo gets up and goes in search of his jacket.

"Lucky Kyo," Shigure murmurs softly to himself as he smirks. He then goes off to find his own jacket and tell Tohru that they're leaving.

* * *

1 After Cain killed Abel, he was supposedly left by God with a dark mark upon his flesh to distinguish him as lowly. The Europeans translated this dark mark to be darkened skin, such as you would find in Africans. Then they rationalized that the Africans, supposedly descendants of Cain, were all evil and thus it was all right to talk advantage of them. 


End file.
